Wild Nights with Emily

Wild Nights with Emily

Q&A with director, Madeleine Olnek immediately following the screening

Program Notes

Molly Shannon plays Emily Dickinson in the dramatic comedy Wild Nights with Emily. The poet’s persona, popularized since her death, became that of a reclusive spinster — a delicate wallflower, too sensitive for this world. This film explores her vivacious, irreverent side that was covered up for years — most notably Emily’s lifelong romantic relationship with another woman (Susan Ziegler). After Emily died, a rivalry emerged when her brother’s mistress (Amy Seimetz) along with editor T.W. Higginson (Brett Gelman) published a book of Emily’s poems. Irreverent and surreal, Wild Nights was selected as one of “The 50 Most Anticipated American Independent Films of 2018” (Filmmaker Magazine); you will never look at Dickinson the same way again.

This special screening will be an incredible rare opportunity to see this highly anticipated film by Olnek on the Parkway’s historic big screen!